Food manufacturers should clearly state nutrient information on packages

By Allison Cerra

CHICAGO — Almost half of shoppers surveyed by HealthFocus International believed that food manufacturers should clearly state their products' contents, especially calories, fat and sodium content.

Building on research conducted earlier this month that found front-of-pack labels may not sway customers from purchasing certain items in stores, HealthFocus noted in its newest survey that 45% of shoppers said they use the label information to decipher which products have too much of an ingredient they are trying to avoid.

Many food manufacturers have placed FOP labels on their products to display their nutrients and other ingredients. The information, however, varies from product to product, with some packages displaying symbols and others showing the actual levels of nutrients, HealthFocus said.